Keel-block



W. H. NASON.

KEEL BLOCK.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, I9I9.

W. Hr NASON.

KEEL BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, 1919.

1,35 ,109, I Patenfed Oct. 19,1920.

' .2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l P s F/G 7 m txvrm i q fon lg. lVason UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

WALTON H. NASON, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR. TO 'SUN SHIPBUILDING COMPANY, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

REEL-BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

Application filed. December a, 1919. Serial No. 343,040.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVALTON H. NASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, county of Delaware, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Keel-Blocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accomarranged, at fairly close'in'tervals, along the longitudinal center of the hull and are supported on suitable framework. The bilge cribs are arranged in two series, one under one side, and the other under the otherside, of the hull. In the bilge cribbing, which underlies a -transversely sloping part of the hull, fitting blocks are arranged directly against the shell, and blocks, similarto the keel blocks, are arranged under the fitting blocks. The shores may be arranged, for example, along longitudinal lines between the lines of keel blocks and bilge cribs.

Thesekeel blocks, and the blocks similar thereto (which may also, for convenience, be

called keel blocks) constituting part of the bilge cribbing, are removed preparatory to launching. They are, however, so tightly wedged. in position that" they cannot be knocked out, but must bechopped out with axes and destroyed. This operation. is not expeditious, and is also wasteful, in that numerous perfectly good keel blocks are destroyed.

The object of my invention is to so construct' these keel blocks that they may be more expeditiously removed and will not be destroyed or injured in the process of re moval. Another advantage of my improved keel blocks is that they maybe readily removed, at any time during the fabrication of the ship, to allow access to the parts of the hull which they cover, in order to locate any leakage at the rivets and render the hull water-tight, and may also be readilv displaced. In replacing the keel block Oil the bilge cribs, greater pressure may also bebrought to bear by use ofthese blocks.

Preferred embodiments of my invention are shownin the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the hull of a vessel, the number of supports, however, es pecially the number of central keel blocks and shores, being substantially less than the number that would ordinarily be used with a ship of average tonnage. i

Fig. 2 is an end view of the lower part of the hull and'its supports, drawn to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the bilge cribs.

cribs. v

Fig. 5 is a faceview of one form of keel block. I

' Fig. 6 is a face view of a modified form of keel block.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the removable members of the keel block.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2: The hull hull a of the vesselis supported along its longitudinal center by a series of supports 5, the top member 00 of which is one of my improved keel blocks. The shores c are arranged along longitudinal lines, as shown. The bilge cribs d are arranged in two longitudinal rows near opposite sides of the vessel. This arrangement is a conventional one and constitutes no part of my inven" tion. p l

The bilge cribs all, shown in Figs. 3 and i, are also of conventional construction, except for the provision of my improved. blocks As shown, it comprises cross beams e, longitudinal stringers f, wedges g, filling blocks h, fitting blocks '2', and blocks y,

' Each keel block, 00 or 1 (see Fig. 5), com

cut away near each end to afford a wedgeshaped recess 70.

The wedges 0 and p, when in place, will be held in position by the superincumbent weight of the ship, but it is preferred to positively hold them, and also tighten them,

in position by means of two bolts r and steel plates 2. The bolts extend within llOIlZOH- tal recesses w formed in opposite ends of the wedges.

After these blocks, a; and y, are in position, they function like an ordinary keel block. When it is desired to remove a keel block, the bolts 1" and plates 2 are removed, and by means of a wedge 41, driven into one of the recesses is between the wedges 0 and p, the wedges 0 and p are dislodged sidewise, and, together with the overlying member m, drop to the ground. vWhere a block is thus removed from the bilge cribbing, the filler h and fitting block 2' also drop out. This exposes the part of the hull previously covered by the keel block or by the fitting block 2'. The parts may be readily re-assembled.

Preparatory to launching, a number of men, working simultaneously, can readily and speedily dislodge all of the blocks 00 and y.

The construction shown in Fig. 6 is'like that shown in Fig. 5 except that the top faces of the wedges (lettered 0' and p) instead of being beveled in flat planes are concavely curved on the arc of a circle and the bottom face of the top member (lettered m) is convexly curved on the same are. This permits the top member to be adjusted laterally so that its top surface may be inclined correspondingly to the angle of inclination of the hull.

Where, in the claims, I specify a keel block, I mean to include any removable member cotiperating to support the ship.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A removable keel block comprising two reversely disposedwedge members, the adjacent ends of the wedge members being shaped to form a recess for the reception of a separating wedge.

2. Means for supporting the hull of a vessel comprising superimposed wooden supports and oppositely insertible opposing wedge members cooperating therewith, the opposing faces of said wedge members being shaped to afiord a wedge-shaped space he members being shaped adjacent the end to form between them a wedge-shaped recess adapted to accommodate the edge of a wedge. V

4. A removable composite keel block comprising upper and lower members and intermediate wedge members having, throughout part of their length, opposing parallel faces, said faces being shaped, adjacent the end, to form a wedge-shaped recess between them.

5. A removable composite keel block comprising upper and lower members, intermediate wedge members insertible from opposite sides with opposing faces adjacent the end shaped to afiord a wedge-shaped recess between them, and bolts for preventing the spreading of the Wedge members.

6. A removable composite keel blockcomprising upper and lower members, intermediate wedge members having horizontally extending grooves in their ends, bolts extending horizontally within said grooves, and means bearing against the outer faces of said wedge members connecting thefends of said bolts. I

7. A removable composite keel block comprising upper and lower members,intermediate wedge members the opposing faces of which are partly in parallel and partly in angular relationship, and laterall removable means adapted to secure said wedge members together.

8. A removable keel block comprising upper and lower members and intermediate wedge members insertible from opposite sides, the upper faces of the wedge mem bers alining and concavely curved in a direction correspondingto the direction of wed ing, the top member having a convexfy curved lower face adapting it to adjustment andconsequent fixation of its angle of inclination.

9. A removable composite keel block comprising an upper member the bottom of which is curved, a lower member the top of which has plane inclined surfaces, and a pair of intermediate wedges the tops of which are curved in a direction, extending between the wide andnarrow ends thereof so as to coincide with the bottom of the upper member,

and the bottoms of which have plane mclined surfaces coinciding with the plane inclined tops of the lower members, whereby the upper and lower members may be separated and the angle ofinclination ofthe upper surface of the upper member varied.

10. A removable keel block comprisin upper and lower members and intermediate Wedge members insertible from opposite sides, the upper faces of the wedge members alining and concavely curved 1n a direction corresponding to the direction of Wedging, the top member having a convexly curved lower face adapting it to adjustment and consequent fixation of its angle of inclination, the opposing surfaces of said Wedge members being parallel throughout their central portions in a direction at right 10 angles to the direction of Wedging and in angular relationship adjacent their edges. In testimony of Which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Chester, Pa., on this 21st day'of November, 1919.

' WALTON H. NASON. 

